The Real Reason Why Your Child May Hate Physical Ed. Class….

Updated on January 26, 2011

The End Of Privacy

Body Image

Today VS Yesteryear....

It’s been reported quite frequently the children of today are less active then previous generations. Some of the blame has been placed on technology. (ie computers, iPads, cell phones, texting, tweeting, video games, MySpace, FaceBook, or simply watching TV) Without a doubt all of these activities have led children towards having a more sedentary life than previous generations. This is especially true during the summer vacation period.

During my childhood parents would have to hunt to find their kids after the streetlights came on. Kids would start the day by knocking on each other’s door begging parents to let their friends come out to play. We’d ride our bikes across town, race each other while rolling old tires, have water pistol fights, climb trees, play touch football in the streets, play basketball on the school playground, play hide and seek, “tag or it”. cash in bottles to buy candy and snacks, shoot marbles, spike each other’s spinning tops, make each other laugh by telling “your momma jokes” or insulting one another in a funny way.

It seemed like we never ran out of things to do even when none of us had any real money.

I suppose those days are gone and never to return again. Besides the various technology gadgets that exist today we also appear to have more incidences of adults looking to hurt children. Many parents today are afraid to let their children out of sight several hours. A lot of kids today have never walked more than a couple of blocks to school.

A Change In The Game

Even back in those days it wasn’t uncommon for kids to want to avoid P.E. class.

It’s not as though they suddenly disliked playing games or even participating in exercises such as doing jumping jacks or climbing the rope. What changed?

The first change begins with being called by their last name instead of their first name. Some coaches strive to be intimidating and often times bark instructions in a tone your child may not be accustom to. It's not uncommon for some of them to pick on a kid or two in each class. This may lead to the kids in the class also picking on the same kid as well.

A lot of kids don’t care for being nude around each other, taking group showers, or as was done in many midwestern high schools during the 50s, 60s, and 70s when boys wereforced to swim nude. This was done supposedly to avoid filling up the pool traps with thread or materials from swim trunks. However girls wore bathing suits on their swim days. Hmmmmm. At any rate a child has spent his/her first several years of life in the bathroom alone.

Bathroom & Locker Room Etiquette

A child goes from using the bathroom and taking showers in private to being thrown into a wide open locker room multi-shower head room with no privacy stalls.

He/she may develop their first case of body image issues as they compare themselves to others. Another issue at least in many boys’ locker rooms is kids engaging in horseplay.

One kid walks by and another winds a towel up and pops his ass. Everyone laughs.

Some kids get a kick out of removing towels while others are showering.

There are kids with strong personalities and others who are pure bullies.

Nothing can make a child feel worse than facing his or her tormentor in the nude.

Some guys piss while taking showers as if they were standing in front of a urinal.

Time & Experience

Eventually your child may get used to being nude in public showers and locker rooms.

However there are some kids that never get comfortable with the idea of public nudity.

A few kids have been known to try and get dressed without taking a shower while others come up with an excuse to skip P.E. altogether.

Possible Remedies

The younger a child is exposed to the public shower environment the easier it is for him or her to adapt. They are too young to have body image issues.

Last but not least you may want to have a discussion to prepare your child.

If he/she has any sports heroes you might let them know their hero takes showers with his teammates as well. However the most effective method is likely to come from a conversation you have where you let them know you went through the same thing.

Make sure you let them know they can come to you with any problems they may have.

Comments 9 comments

Actually for us ... well my daughter it is the PE itself since now in her school they have gone t to the other extreme to prevent just such things you are sharing that now they do not take any showers after, and while changing they are not aloud to say one single word it is to be s silent in the locker room and if not big trouble. I think I like your methods better of talking to them and not aving it a military like setting now. She says all the running from place to place and like you siad the being spoke to differently with hussle hussle hussle the whole time.

Thanks for this HUB

~Expect Miracles

dashingscorpio 6 years ago Author

Thanks Shane Belceto for taking the time to read and comment on my hub. I think as adults we tend to forget what it was like to be kids. School is lot more than learning subjects in classes. It requires a lot of social adjustments which can be a shock to a child's known enviroment. Somehow the vast majority of us get through it without any serious mental damage!:-)

I just wanted to remind parents that there is a big difference for a child to go from using the bathroom/shower in private with the door closed to being tossed into an open public arena. Not every child adjusts or becomes comfortable with it.

Contrice 6 years ago

I totally agree. I hated changing clothes in the locker room.

dashingscorpio 6 years ago Author

Thanks for your comment Contrice.

As I mentioned we tend to forget some of these things when we become adults. :-)

Shane Belceto 6 years ago from WA USA

yes somehow the majority does huh. Thank you for responding what you working on for us next?

~Expect Miracles

Efficient Admin 4 years ago from Charlotte, NC

I remember very much hating PE class (back in 70s) because I hated changing clothes, especially in winter when it was really cold. Showers were optional and of course I never did the shower thing - I just wanted to get changed back into my street clothes, and get out of there as soon as possible. For me the 10th grade was the last time PE was a required course. If I had any children I would not want them to have to go through that.

dashingscorpio 4 years ago Author

Efficient Admin, Thanks for your comment. I believe most adults tend to forget their PE class experience when they have their own children. This causes them to not empathize with them. I was a high school student during the 70s in the midwest. Unlike you I did take those group showers and I witnessed numerous guys urinating in the shower. Thank god for shower shoes! LOL!

Efficient Admin 4 years ago from Charlotte, NC

Dashingscorpio even now in 2012 that sounds inappropirate to have to take public showers, probably even more so. If I did have children I know they would be home schooling!

dashingscorpio 4 years ago Author

Efficient Admin; I too would be tempted to do home schooling as well with all the bullying, drugs, and overt sexual pressure in schools these days. In fact a lot of girls first sexual harassment or (partner abuse), experience happens in high school. We can't call it "domestic violence" because the teens don't live together but it's the same thing. Awhile back I wrote a hub on bullying. I don't know how parents restrain themselves from fighting their children's battles. I'm glad I don't have to deal with any of that.

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